1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video game machine which utilizes a television screen and is of the type called a simulator such as a car simulator or flight simulator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional video game machine, moving roads and scenes are displayed on a television screen. A vehicle such as a car or airplane is also displayed on the screen. A human player operates a steering wheel and other manual controls installed independent of the TV screen to manipulate the vehicle. Simple video game machines include TV game machines which are widely used in homes. Game machines which display more real scenes on TV screens include drive game machines installed in game machine centers.
One example of such drive game machine is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 13,656/1987 and shown in FIG. 19, where an inclined half mirror 02 is mounted close to a television camera 01 which is movably held. A screen 03 on which an image is projected is installed in front of the mirror 02. The image should be reflected onto the mirror 02. A dummy car 04 whose image should pass through the half mirror 02 is disposed on a belt 05 below the mirror 02.
An intermediate slit 06 is disposed below the screen 03 in a parallel relation to the screen. A rotating drum 07 is disposed below the slit 06. The drum 07 consists of a cylindrical transparent plate made from a synthetic resin, the transparent plate having opaque portions. A light source 08 is mounted inside the drum 07. The image on the rotating drum 07 is projected onto the screen 03 via the intermediate slit 06 to create a moving image.
Thus, the moving image on the screen 03 is reflected by the half mirror 02 and picked up by the TV camera 01. At the same time, the image of the dummy car 04 on the belt 05 is transmitted through the mirror 02 and picked up by the camera 01. As a result, a synthesized image impinges on the camera 01. The image picked up by the camera 01 in this way is projected on the viewing screen of a cathode-ray tube 09.
A steering wheel 010 for operating the dummy car is mounted below the CRT 09. The position and the posture of the camera 01 are changed by operating the wheel 010. A signal produced in response to the operation of the wheel is sent to a control system, which then starts a game.
Accordingly, on the screen of the CRT 09, the dummy car 04 is seen moving against a moving background created on the screen 03. A human player operates the wheel 010 or other manual control while watching the image on the CRT to play the game.
In order to achieve a realistic drive game as described above, a considerably large-scale, and hence expensive, apparatus is needed as shown in FIG. 19. This hinders wide acceptance of such game machines in homes.
Further, the image of a background projected on the screen of the CRT 09 is quite simplified and so it lacks reality. Additionally, the background changes periodically, so that the game tends to be monotonous.
In contrast to this, TV games can be easily played in homes. However, the image displayed on the viewing screen of the TV set is synthesized by combining pixels of a certain size and, therefore, it is far remote from the actual image. Consequently, sufficient reality cannot be obtained. Hence, simulation in which the player feels as if he or she drove an actual car cannot be attained.